'Can be challenging but usually worth it!': International survey of rehabilitation professionals' experiences of social media use after acquired brain injury.
Melissa Liss Brunner, Rachael Rietdijk, Petra Avramovic and 3 others
PMID 39977725WHAT IT FOUND
Clinicians recognise social media as vital for social connection after brain injury but lack guidelines and confidence.
They want co-designed resources to teach cybersafety and platform use, balancing patient autonomy against risks like scams and disinhibition.
Key findings
01Most respondents felt supporting social media use should be a routine part of brain injury rehabilitation, viewing it as essential for social integration.
02Clinicians identified significant risks including online exploitation, scams, and disinhibited posting due to cognitive impairments, which caused anxiety about duty of care.
03There is a clear gap in evidence-based guidelines and resources, with clinicians requesting specific training on risk assessment and practical 'how-to' support for patients.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was predominantly speech pathologists (68%) and from English-speaking countries, limiting generalisability to other disciplines or cultures. The survey did not collect data on practice settings (e.g., acute vs. community), so it is unclear how these findings apply to different clinical environments. The sample size was relatively small (n=68) and may have been influenced by self-selection bias, as participants likely had a pre-existing interest in the topic. The study reports clinician perceptions and experiences, not patient outcomes or the effectiveness of any specific intervention.
Declared interests
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that social media interventions improve patient outcomes. This study reports on clinician perceptions and barriers, not on the efficacy of any specific treatment.